There comes a time in every mobile user's life when a new phone that he or she simply must have hits the scene. The problem is, that scenario probably hits on a yearly basis (at the very least), and contracts are generally for a two-year term; that leaves no option but paying full-price for the new handset.

To help offset some of the cost of the new device, the most logical option is to sell the old one. That in itself poses another issue altogether: where to sell. There's always eBay and Craigslist, both of which have their own set of pros and cons; and then there are buy-back sites like uSell and Gazelle, both of which make users wait for their funds and don't normally offer the amount of money most people are looking for. Honestly, none of those options really sound that great.

Enter UpgradeSwap, a new buy-back site that promises two things: the best price for your gear and same-day payments. In those two ways, this service essentially stands on its own.

For fun, let's just compare the service to its aforementioned competitors, uSell and Gazelle. Here are the offers on a 16GB White Frost Galaxy S4 on AT&T in Excellent condition:

But the differences don't stop there; UpgradeSwap was the only of the three services that asked for all the important details, including color and storage capacity. uSell and Gazelle both just lumped all models into one. We all know that a 32GB handset is worth more than a 16GB, so offering the same amount for both just isn't fair.

And UpgradeSwap is the only one that offers same-day payments – you have the money before you've even sent the phone (of course, it's done through Paypal so the transaction is protected). No one else does that.

So really, if you're in a hurry to sell a phone for whatever reason, UpgradeSwap is definitely one of the best options I've seen, and easily worth checking out.

UpgradeSwap checks the ESN of every cellular device before purchase to ensure they're clean. The company also runs a check through checkmend.com to ensure every device is legitimate and no stolen device are being bought or sold.

Giveaway

This contest is now over.

The final results are listed below. If you've won, you will be contacted in the near future. Congratulations!

Everyone else - keep participating and stay tuned to Android Police so that you don't miss our upcoming giveaway announcements. You can follow AP on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and RSS.

Andrew Myrick

UpgradeSwap not only offers a good service, but the guys have also offered a phone for one lucky winner. Since Samsung and HTC both put out new flagships, the winner has a choice between the following: